To Trieste Italy for $30?

Posted by Jacqueline Church May 28, 2009

Today's post is brought to you by the letter C. That's C as in Coffee and Culinary travel. Our horizons expand through the experience of travel. Good educators can bring that same broadening experience to you, via the classroom.

Whether you're saving dollars or minimizing your carbon footprint, if a trip to Italy isn't in your plans and you're near the Big Apple, why not take a two-day break and learn something new at the I.C.C. The quality of the offerings here are fantastic. I'm a fairly highy caffeinated gal and I've done my fair share of reading and self-study. What a revelation this course was! It wasn't just the caffeine that made my eyes pop and my jaw drop.

Though this class was taught by experts from Illy's Universita del Caffe in Trieste, this wasn't just a promo for the company. This was a thoroughly entertaining and educational course about coffee from its historical significance, through trade and scientific developments, through current events like fair trade and sustainable farming trends.

The diversity of the class in terms of experience with coffee, with food, with science was great. Less well executed curriculum would have failed where this one succeeded.

Bad Writer, Good Dog

A food writer, this food writer approaches product reviews with the best of intentions. I accept products to review only when I think I can do them a fair turn and fit in the review in a timely and traffic-building way. Sometimes, life intervenes.

Good Dog Coffee came to my attention when I was researching Shade Grown Coffee. They are a micro-roaster and roast your coffee to order. They sell Organic, Fair Trade, Shade Grown coffees from smal coops that help establish living wages and good working conditions.

They even label your coffee with a personal label. Imagine my surprise when my bags of coffee arrived with my own grinning mug on the label! And my own mug was grinning when I sipped these darkly roasted, guilt-free brews. You can find Good Dog Coffee here and they're on Facebook, too.

• Coffee with a Conscience, Shade Grown Coffee